Wife of missing Long Hill man to speak at concert for missing persons

Nancy Bird felt a need to connect with others who have a loved one missing.

“It was something I had been avoiding but I really wanted to talk with someone who truly understood the emotions my family and I are dealing with,” said Bird, whose husband David Bird left his Long Hill home for a walk at 4 p.m. Jan. 11 and never returned.

Members of the Long Hill Township Police Department, who have been investigating her husband’s disappearance, introduced her to ViRAGO, a musician featured on the Squeaky Wheel Tour, a series of concerts designed to bring attention to missing persons.

Bird learned more about the Squeaky Wheel Tour and the organization that runs it, the GINA Foundation for Missing Persons. She also spoke with the creator of the tour, Jannel Rap, whose sister Gina has been missing since 2000. She was last seen attending a concert in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“I had no idea so many families were suffering like ours,” Bird said. “It’s given me strength and hope to learn there are others who have somehow learned to live with the terrible uncertainty my family faces every day.”

Rap told Bird about how the tour helps raise awareness and reignite public interest for unsolved missing persons cases.

“She helped me realize it was time for me to lend my voice to this cause,” Bird said. “I struggle daily, wondering what else I can be doing to find my husband. I'm hoping that speaking about him and raising awareness of the number of missing people may help find him and help me heal in some way.”

The first year Rap held the tour in 2001, they ended up finding a missing 17-year-old boy in New York City alive three days after a flier was passed out at a concert. In 2006, the annual tour changed to the “Squeaky Wheel” title, named after the saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

Bird agreed to attend and speak at the tour’s New Jersey stop, Oct. 28, at McLoone’s Supper Club in Asbury Park.

“I will have an opportunity to speak briefly about David in the hopes of raising awareness of his disappearance,” Bird said. “He can only be found if people know he is missing.”

“Meeting the families of the missing has been a profound experience as missing is no respecter of persons. It happens to all ages, all religions, all races and all socioeconomic groups,” Rap said. “I have met people that I never would have met otherwise and I have become family with them all. It's an instant family. It's not a family that you would ever choose, but it is family nonetheless. And it's a family you don't have to explain yourself to. They just know.”

Bird said those attending the concert will learn more about missing persons throughout the country — specifically people missing in New Jersey at the Asbury Park concert — but also enjoy a great night of rock and roll, food, and laughter.

“It’s a celebration because it's a place where people can gather to make a difference just by being there and hearing the stories of families with a missing loved one,” said Bird, adding she’s happy to have a network of people to connect with and act as a support group.

“I have searched everywhere for a support group specifically for families of missing persons. They don't exist, and if they do, I wish someone would tell me about it. We are in a terribly unique situation and it is very difficult for others to understand or comfort us.”

Smith’s Ace Hardware in Chatham recently committed 10 percent of their sales for a day to the Bird family.

“I'm very grateful for their support and for the generosity of many other local groups and families who have kept us in their hearts and minds and continue to surprise us with random acts of kindness,” Bird said. “These large and small gifts mean so much to us as we struggle with our new day-to-day reality.”

Donations to help support the Bird family can still be sent to 'The Bird Family Trust' and mailed to PO Box 234, Millington, NJ 07946.

“It's impossible for us to settle back into a normal life, there is nothing normal about our situation,” Bird said. “We are doing the best we can and trying to adjust while continuing to question what could possibly have happened to David Bird on January 11. We pray and hope the answer to that question comes before the snow begins to fall.”

The Long Hill Township Police Department continue to search for David Bird. A $10,000 reward has been offered by his employer, Dow Jones & Co. Anyone with information about his disappearance should call the Long Hill Township Police Department at 908-647-1800.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@dailyrecord.com

If you go:

What: The New Jersey Squeaky Wheel Tour. A concert that brings attention to missing persons in the state and country. Performers include Jannel Rap, Virago, and Pat Guadagno.